When Seasons Meet
by Song Of A Free Heart
Summary: Jackunzel Week 2016 Need I say more?
1. I Don't Want To Ruin The Friendship

**Incase this is the last Jackunzel Week, well, I probably wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I didn't at least try.**

 **Of course, I didn't plan in advance at all…**

 **High school AU (Most of this year's prompts lean towards a high school AU…) No, I will not apologize for Merida/Eret. I won't.**

 _I Don't Want To Ruin Our Friendship_

"Well, we need to go," Rapunzel said, after checking her phone. It had gone off yet again (her phone never seemed to stop), but this time she didn't ignore whatever it was.

Jack felt the sudden, familiar pang in his chest as she and the other girls started to stand up from the table where the six of them had been lingering after their lunch. The sinking feeling in his stomach, feeling as if the light in the room was starting to dim.

Though he tried not to let that show in his voice as he spoke. "What? We're just about to solve the world's problems, and you're just going to pick up and leave?"

Rapunzel glanced up from gathering her things back into her purse. Giving him one of those smiles that put the sun to shame. And that made him feel as if winter was melting to spring in his heart in a matter of seconds.

"Talking about Snotlout's ego, and treatment of the cheerleaders, is not solving the world's problems," she reminded.

Be still his heart. He couldn't breathe when that little note of teasing came into her voice.

Hiccup, who had just been taking a drink from the last of his milkshake paused. "It makes me feel better."

"It makes me want to punch him," Astrid said.

"Here, here," Merida said. She had been looking over Eret's shoulder at the screen of his phone, so Jack hadn't thought she was actually paying attention.

Though she and Astrid had already spent twenty minutes ranting about how Snotlout's constant passes at their teammates made their soccer and volleyball practices more frustrating than fruitful.

"That would solve a large problem for the student body," Jack agreed.

Rapunzel shook her head at the sudden violent turn in the conversation. "While I would love to solve as many problems as possible, we have an appointment."

"She's making us get mani/pedis," Merida said, scowling. She reached over to tap something on Eret's screen.

"Oh, stop acting like you don't like it," Astrid said. She leaned over to kiss Hiccup's temple before standing up from the table. Grabbing her jacket and purse from the back of her chair.

"Because you don't," Eret said. He shrugged the shoulder she leaned on, wordlessly urging her to stand up.

Merida did so, reluctantly. "I don't see you getting one."

"I'm not paying for him," Rapunzel said, coming around the table to loop an arm through Merida's. "I'm paying for you."

Jack didn't understand how Merida could glare in response to that smile. "Well I'm certainly not paying…"

"Come on," Rapunzel said. "You know it's not that bad."

Merida rolled her eyes.

With Merida by the arm, and Astrid in tow, Rapunzel started towards the door. Glancing back to the boys with one final wave. And one last grumble from Merida.

"We'll see you later! Call me tonight, okay, Jack?"

"Sure." Jack raised a hand to return the wave, watching as the girls left. The chime of the bell on the door was a little too cheerful for his taste as they walked out. Already deep in conversation as they started down the sidewalk. Even Merida laughed at something Rapunzel said.

Jack watched mournfully until they had passed the plate glass windows of the café, and out of sight. As soon as they were gone, he sank into his chair, looking at the remainder of his lunch without any desire to finish it, now that Rapunzel was gone.

"Please just tell her," Hiccup said.

Jack looked up at his friend. "Huh?"

"Don't give me that," Hiccup said, rolling his eyes. He took another drink of his milkshake. "Just tell Rapunzel how you feel."

"It's not even fun to tease you anymore," Eret said. "It's just pathetic."

"Why are we friends with him?" Jack asked, jerking a thumb at Eret, who just rolled his eyes.

"Something to do with Merida breaking her toes when she was nine," Hiccup said.

"Seven," Eret corrected. "I was nine. And my mom works with Rapunzel's."

"Right," Hiccup said. "But back to Jack's lack of a love life."

"Just because you have a girlfriend doesn't mean you need to meddle in my love life."

"His girlfriend is Astrid Hofferson," Eret reminded. "Most guys would hang on his every word."

"She asked him out!" Jack said defensively. He didn't want to hear what either of them had to say on this matter. He didn't want to hear anything on this matter. He wanted to change the subject, and talk about anything else.

But, somehow, Jack had ended up with a group of friends who were all incredibly stubborn. Hiccup's Viking heritage was never more obvious than when he took a stand on anything, and Merida's Scottish determination seemed to have rubbed off on Eret.

"You've been crushing on her for years," Hiccup said.

"She obviously likes you, too," Hiccup said. "So why won't you just ask her out?"

"She does not _obviously_ like me," Jack said, scowling as he picked up one of his French fries. He still had no desire to eat it, so he just poked at the blob of ketchup on his plate. "She's Rapunzel. She's nice to everyone."

"Especially nice to you," Eret said.

"We've known each other since we were kids," Jack reminded.

And they had. One of Jack's earliest memories was of playing on the swing set with Rapunzel when they had been in kindergarten together. Sometimes they had sat on the swings next to each other, competing to see who could go higher. Other times, if there weren't two swings available, he had pushed her. Even back then, the sound of her laughter had been like a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds after a storm.

Even in his head that sounded stupid, though it was still true. As they had grown up, he had just kind of followed her. Wherever she was, the world just seemed a little brighter. When she laughed, life suddenly seemed to have purpose, and all the things that bothered him just kind of melted away.

"You're doing that stupid puppy eye thing," Hiccup said. He used one finger to draw a circle around one of his own eyes for emphasis.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Eret asked. "She'll say no? It's Rapunzel. It's not like she'll laugh in your face."

"No, it would be worse than that," Jack said. " _Because_ she's Rapunzel, she'll feel bad for saying no. She'll say she's really sorry, but she only sees me as a friend. Or a brother. And she'll probably thank me, and say she's flattered, then apologize again." He had sunk further in his chair, until his chin now rested on his arm on the table. "Then she'll ask if we can still be friends. And I'll say yes, because I can't say no to her."

"But?" Hiccup prompted.

"But I don't want to be friends with her," Jack said, not looking up from the French fry he was now smashing into the cheap ceramic plate. "I want to hold her hand, and take her out to dinner, and bring her flowers—"

"And kiss her?" Eret said.

Now Jack did look up to glare at Eret. "You sound like your mother."

Eret's mother had a habit of teasing everyone, and a reputation for being straight forward. It was something Jack usually found refreshing, since so many people tended to skirt around what they really wanted to say, which he thought was an exhausting way to have a conversation.

Eret just shrugged.

"Yeah, I wanna kiss her," Jack sighed.

"You want to be her boyfriend," Hiccup said.

"Yes."

"Then just say so!"

"No," Jack said. "Because she doesn't like me like that."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, making a sound of exasperation. "You're so blind!"

"She didn't ask Hiccup to call her tonight," Eret said.

"Hiccup has a girlfriend," Jack said. "That would be weird."

"She didn't ask me."

"You have a girlfriend," Jack said. "That would be weird."

"Merida isn't my—"

"You're missing the point," Hiccup said, waving a hand to clear the old argument away. Merida and Eret stubbornly refused to deny they were a couple, even to themselves. "You don't want to ruin the friendship, but you don't want to just be friends."

"That sums it up," Jack said.

"Someday you're going to finally ask her out, and when she says yes, you're going to kick yourself for wasting so much time."

"I wish," Jack muttered.

Hiccup just sighed. "I give up. I thought my dad was the most stubborn person I would ever meet, but you take the cake, Jack."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"That's not how I meant it."

"Well, that's how I'm taking it," Jack said, sticking his tongue out at his friend.

Eret shook his head. But before he could say anything, his phone chimed, and he picked it up to answer the text.

"I'm stubborn. He's in denial."

"Shut up," Eret muttered.

Jack tried to smirk, but the expression was weak.

"I give up," Hiccup said. "You're both hopeless."


	2. She's Not My Girlfriend

**A friend was talking the HTTYD gang at a theme park. And I already kind of had some headcanons that worked.**

 **Continuing yesterday's drabble.**

 _She's Not My Girlfriend_

"Sunscreen," Eret said.

Jack cringed, looking down the picnic table the six of them sat at… relieved to see Eret was talking to Merida. Not him. A day at the amusement should not be wasted by spending time putting sunscreen on. He had already put some on at his mother's insistence before he left the house.

"I put some on earlier!" Merida said, pulling her sunhat lower over her face."I'm fine."

Eret scowled at her. "That was before you got in the water."

"Och. I'm fine!"

After a morning in the water park, the six friends were eating the lunch from one of the food stands throughout the park, before they went over to the roller coasters. The sooner the food was gone, they could get in line. Applying sunscreen would mean more time before they got to the roller coasters. And those were the whole reason Jack was out here in the insufferable heat. Because the adrenaline rush was almost as good as snowboarding. Enough to make him forget how much he was sweating, at least.

"I'm the one who has to listen to you whine when you get burned," Eret said. "Sit still."

Jack snickered into his slushee as he watched. Merida looked for all the world like a cat being forced into a bath as Eret slathered sunscreen on the back of her shoulders. If there was one thing Merida was good for, it was entertainment. And she was currently delivering in spades.

He was ignoring Hiccup and Astrid, who were both laughing as they helped each other with their sunscreen. Hiccup blushing as his hands ran over Astrid's back. They were so cute, it was gross. And all the more annoying because they just wouldn't stop…

"You should probably put some on too, Jack."

He froze at Rapunzel's voice. Her tone sweet, laced with concern as she looked over at him.

"I'm fine," Jack insisted.

"You were in the water more than any of us," she said. "You really should. Do you want help?"

How was he supposed to say no to that?

"Uh… sure."

Even in the brilliant summer sunshine, her smile was brilliant as she came around the table. With the bottle of sunscreen she kept in her purse. Because she was more prepared than most boy scouts could ever hope to be.

His breath was already catching in his throat as she came to stand behind him, just in anticipation that she was going to touch him.

She squirted some of the stuff on his hand, so he could apply it to his chest. But he froze the moment she pressed her hands to his back. The cold of the sunscreen on her hands made him shiver just as much as her touch. He felt as if something inside her was melting faster than his slushee in the heat as her palms ran circles over his skin. He didn't even care that he was missing a brilliant episode of The Merida and Eret Show, which he was just aware of playing out. Judging by Merida's continued complaints, and Eret's "hush". When Rapunzel smoothed sunscreen over his shoulders, nothing else in the world mattered.

He was disappointed when she pulled her hands back. "All done."

"Thanks," he said, throat tight.

"Okay, okay," Merida said, finally slipping away from Eret, now that her skin was slick with sunscreen, and he couldn't keep a hold on her arm. "Can we go ride roller coasters now?"

"Sure," Hiccup said, enthusiastically. Adrenaline addict that he was.

Not that Jack was one to talk. "Let's go!"

They threw away the paper plates from their lunch, and headed towards the main park. Merida had somehow persuaded Eret to give her a piggyback ride, and her annoyance with him seemed to have disappeared. To the surprise of no one.

Jack fell into step with Rapunzel. Glad he didn't need an excuse to do so, since Hiccup and Astrid were leading the group, hand in hand. "Which one do you want to go on first?" he asked.

"Hmm…" Rapunzel looked around, wide green eyes drinking in the sights as she looked around the park.

He loved the way she looked at the world. Always expecting something beautiful or wonderful, and never seeming to see anything else. When she was around, she seemed to chase away the shadows in Jack's own mind, until he couldn't see them either.

Her eyes widened suddenly, and she inhaled sharply. "Oh!"

Following her gaze, Jack saw one of the game stalls, with stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling. A mix of brightly colored Pokemon plush, and other, non-licensed, animals. Her eyes were on the bright green chameleon that seemed to have been hung front and center, just waiting for her eyes to fall on it.

She was already skipping over to the game, and Jack followed like a lost puppy.

The kid manning the stall, who Jack was pretty sure he recognized from school, actually came to attention as Rapunzel approached. A sunbeam flitting into the shade of his stall.

"Rapunzel, you know these things are rigged."

"I know," she said, putting a five dollar bill on the counter. "But I want that chameleon! It can't hurt to try once."

In a group of friends that consisted of Hiccup, and Merida, it was sometimes easy to overlook that they were all stubborn. And Rapunzel could take anyone aback with her tenacity, when the right circumstances arose.

"You get three shots," the boy said. "You just have to knock over the bottles."

"Shouldn't be too hard," she said, smiling as she took the first tennis ball he handed her. Jack took the other two.

She took aim, tongue peeking out between her lips as she focused. Jack felt the corner of his own lips quirk in a grin. She was so cute. If there was any justice in the world, she would knock the bottles over on the first try.

But apparently there wasn't any justice, because her first shot missed by less than an inch. The second was the same. The third flew wide, her frustration distracting her.

"Where's Merida?" Rapunzel asked, looking around. "I bet she could do it."

Jack looked over, but their friends were long out of sight.

Rapunzel sighed, her shoulders sagging as she looked mournfully at the stuffed chameleon.

"You could try again," the boy behind the stall said.

"No, ten dollars is a little more than I'm willing to spend," Rapunzel said.

But she looked so sad, it seemed to cut straight to Jack's heart.

Setting his jaw, Jack stepped up, putting down five ones.

The boy's smirk was easily translated to "there's a sucker born every  
minute". Jack wasn't above glaring back at him as he took the three  
tennis balls. "Sucker for your girlfriend, huh?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Jack said, scowling at the boy. It was a line he had said too many times, and never enjoyed saying.

He tossed one in his hand a couple times, testing it as he he looked  
towards the pyramid of three glass bottles that sat about 20 feet  
away. Looking as innocent as glass bottles could. In defiance of all  
the frustration they no doubt caused anyone who tried to knock them  
down.

Jack might not be the marksman that Merida was, since she spent almost  
as much time with her bow as she did with Eret. But after years of  
snowball fights... he was pretty dang close. (And, even if he failed,  
Rapunzel was kind enough that she would appreciate the effort, if  
nothing else.)

His first throw missed by several inches.

He didn't miss the boy's satisfied smirk.

"You can do it, Jack."

The second ball grazed the bottle at the top of the small pyramid. But  
it didn't even sway.

"That's how you wanna play it, huh?"

Rapunzel handed him the third ball.

"A kiss for luck?" he asked, teasingly.

With a smile, Rapunzel leaned over to kiss his cheek. She was only a  
few inches shorter than he was, so she didn't even have to rise on her  
toes to do so. Jack felt himself flush, his whole body growing warm as  
her soft lips touched his skin. He felt her lip gloss leave a sticky  
pink mark, and didn't mind in the least.

"Go get 'em," she said, stepping back.

Jack took a moment to steady himself, to get his brain back under  
control so he could focus on the throw.

Hefting the tennis ball a couple times, he looked at the bottle  
pyramid. Calculating. And then he threw.

Hard.

It hit squarely in the center of the pyramid. Which teetered for a  
moment... Then fell. All three bottles toppling to the ground.

Rapunzel cheered.

Jack smirked.

"Congratulations," the boy said, though he managed to make it sound  
like an insult.

"Just give the lady her chameleon," Jack said. Now that the challenge  
was won, his attention was once more back on roller coasters...

Rapunzel giggled as the giant stuffed chameleon was taken down, and  
placed in her waiting arms.

"I'm going to name him Pascal," she said, decidedly, as she buried her face in the toy's soft green side.

"Why Pascal?"

"I like it," she said. "I can pay you back, if you want."

"Nah, it's fine," he assured. Five dollars was less than half an hour of babysitting the Bennett kids. It was nothing. Especially for her.

Rapunzel's phone chimed, and she pulled it from her purse to check the text. "The others are in line for the Terror Plunge."

Looking over her shoulder, Jack saw that someone (probably Merida) had sent her a picture of the ride, with Hiccup's head in the bottom corner of the picture. He looked over at the Terror Plunge, which rose up among the skyline made up of other rides. They started towards it.

"You really like that thing, huh?" he asked, unable to keep from laughing as she continued to hug the chameleon.

"He's so cute!" she said.

He shook his head a little.

As they neared the line to the Terror Plunge, Merida waved to them. As if her red hair wasn't easy enough to see without the large movement.

"What took ya so long?"

"Look what Jack won for me!" Rapunzel said, holding up the chameleon.

"A frog?"

"Chameleon," Rapunzel said. Clearly, questions about her new toy were not allowed.

They joined the others in line, vaguely listening to Eret and Astrid's conversation about their workout routines.

After a minute, Jack looked over at Rapunzel to see her thinking as she continued to hug the toy. She was one of those people who wore her heart on her sleeve, so it was easy to read her expression. Especially when it came to something that made her unhappy. She seemed to dim, the light she always seemed to radiate dissipating.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stepping a little closer.

"I'm just thinking," she said.

"About?" he prompted.

"I just… when you said I wasn't your girlfriend earlier."

"People think we're dating all the time," he reminded.

"I know," she said. "I was just wondering… Why aren't we?"

Jack froze. Convinced he must have heard her wrong. There was no way she could have said… "Why aren't we what?" he asked. Hoping she couldn't hear his heart beating. He was trying desperately trying not to let himself hope.

"Why aren't we dating?" she asked.

"Um…" how was he supposed to answer that? He really wasn't sure.

"That's a very good question," Merida said.

Jack and Rapunzel both jumped slightly, looking over at the red head.

"Hush," Eret whispered, pulling Merida away by her wrist.

Turning back at each other, Jack almost completely forgot about the momentary interruption as he looked into her wide green eyes.

"I… I didn't think you'd want to," Jack said. "I mean, I didn't think you, well, liked me."

"Of course I like you!" she said. "I've liked you for years. I thought maybe you didn't like me."

"I've had a crush on you since we were kids!" he said, the words falling out in a rush. "I… I think I'm in love with you."

Rapunzel's cheeks turned bright pink. "Really?"

"Yeah."

She giggled. "I think I love you, too."

"Seriously?"

She nodded, smiling shyly.

Jack laughed in disbelief. This couldn't be real. It felt more like a dream. She was saying everything he had always believed she would never say. He wanted it to be real, though.

Well, if it was a dream, there was no harm…

Leaning towards her, Jack tentatively brushed his lips against hers. He could taste the sweetness of her lip gloss. He inhaled, and his senses were filled with the scent of her floral perfume.

And he knew this wasn't a dream. Because dreams didn't feel, or taste, or smell this real.

"About time!" Merida cried.

And Jack would have seconded that… but he was too busy kissing Rapunzel.


	3. Releasing The Promise

**Day 3 of Jackunzel Week is rather intimidating… Some of you may remember, my story Among The Stars started as a oneshot written for the third day of the first Jackunzel Week, back in 2013. The prompt was "make hay while the sun shines", and I wrote a sci-fi AU where pilot Jack hides princess Rapunzel from evil Imperial forces… in his shower. I still affectionately refer to that as the "Shower Scene", and I love watching/hearing people react to such a racy nickname, because it was as platonic as it is possible for a shower scene. (Jack showering alone later in the story was a lot "steamier", but even that was tame.)**

 **I've finally accepted that I will probably never be able to write another story that will be as popular, or as much fun to write, as ATS was. That was an amazing time in my life – one of the best.**

 **Shoot. Now I've made myself sad.**

 **But, because of that, I feel as if Day 3 has to be something real special. As if I don't already struggle from crippling doubt whenever I go to write…**

 **Hey, though! I finally get to write Eret being protective over Rapunzel, which is a headcanon I've had forever.**

 _Releasing From The Promise_

Rapunzel had never broken a promise. It was something she prided herself on. It was why she didn't give out promises lightly. Only if she truly believed she could keep her word.

She had learned the hard way that not everyone was as true to their word as she was.

Merida said she was too trusting. That, because she was so open and honest, she assumed the rest of the world was as well. Hiccup wouldn't say those words exactly – he was too kind. But she knew he thought the same thing. All her friends seemed to.

She wrapped her blanket tighter around her shoulders as she sat in the window seat, looking out at the garden. She shifted just enough to bring her toes inside the fabric, which helped to stave off some of the cold that wasn't just from the weather.

Outside, the clouds were heavy and grey, blocking out the sun, and he blue sky. Rain drops fell, pattering against the window she sat against. Splattering on the leaves of the plants, and the colorful petals of the flowers, that grew in the garden she tended so carefully. The storm wasn't heavy enough that she needed to worry about the more delicate plants. It wasn't even a storm, really. Just a little fall of rain. Beyond her parents' property, further down in the valley, trees peeked out through the grey white fog.

She had never really been one to enjoy the melancholy mood of a rainy day. She had always preferred the sunshine and blue skies.

In that moment, though, she was glad for the rain. Sunshine would just feel like an added insult to the injury she was currently nursing.

From over on her bedside table, her phone chimed with an incoming text. She looked over at it. Her body started to uncurl, to go over to check it. Because that was what she always did in response to the sound of a text alert. But she stopped herself before she moved more than half an inch.

She didn't want to see it.

It was probably Merida. She hoped it was just Merida. Or Hiccup. Or Astrid. Or any of her other friends.

She didn't want it to be Eugene.

That was why she didn't want to answer it. Because something told her it was Eugene. And if it was, she didn't want to hear what he had to say. She didn't want to hear his apologies. To hear him say he loved her, and he had just made a mistake, and he wanted a second chance…

But how many second chances could she give? How many times could she believe his apologies, only for him to turn around and do something else that hurt her? How many times could she believe his promises to change, when he always broke them?

She didn't even laugh any more when Eret threatened (or offered) to hurt him. Now, she still would hold him back, but she understood why he wanted to. And for the first time, she truly appreciated his strange instinct to protect her.

She wished she had listened when he cautioned her against Eugene.

Instead, she had let herself get swept up in the giddy whirl of feeling as though someone loved her. The idea of having someone look at her the way Hiccup looked at Astrid. Someone to hold hands with, and share experiences with.

Maybe she had also been excited by the idea his past wasn't squeaky clean. "Bad boys make a girl's heart beat faster," as her mother said. And she had fallen for it. For the idea that maybe she could change him. Or that he would change for her. So she ignored all the warning signs. Accepted his apology, and his promise to change. The first time, the second time, the third…

She had been so stupid. So, so stupid.

She squeezed her eyes closed, fighting back tears.

The worst part was that, if she listened to his apologies, if she read his texts, or listened to his messages… she might forgive him again. Just like she had when he violated his probation. Or when he got arrested for getting into that fight at that bar. Or all the times he hadn't shows up when he said he would, or called when he said he would.

All those things she had forgiven. Blindly. Against the advice of all her friends. (Against Eret's all but pleading that she not give in.)

She knew Eret hated himself for having to be the one to tell her that Eugene had cheated on her. She also knew he was nursing bruised knuckles from a right hook to Eugene's jaw. And she was more empathetic about his scraped knuckles, than Eugene's face. That was how she knew she couldn't give in this time. Because she had already been hurt so many times by this relationship, she wasn't even mad at her friend for the fit of violence.

Eugene had probably given more thought to his face than he had to Rapunzel before he hooked up some girl. ("I didn't recognize her," Eret had said. Though Rapunzel wasn't entirely sure she believed that. Something about the way his eyes had shifted.)

Her phone rang.

Ignoring the ingrained response to get up and answer it, Rapunzel buried her face in the blanket, and let herself sob.

To Be Continued


	4. Interrupted Declaration of Love

**This is not the promised continuation of Day 3 – that's next. For today, though…**

 **What's Jackunzel Week without a super hero AU? For that matter, am I capable of doing a drabble collection without a superhero AU? I have more superhero AUs than anything else!**

 _Interrupted Declaration of Love_

"It's your own fault."

"Thanks for that, Merida," Jack muttered, raising a forearm to block the punch she had thrown at his face.

"You're welcome." Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Merida jerked her knee up, towards his gut.

Jack noticed just in time to smack her knee down with his palm.

But failed to notice her fist. She stopped just short of her knuckles slamming into the side of his head.

"Yer dead."

In more ways than one.

Exhaling all the air from his lungs, Jack took a step back. Silently admitting his defeat.

"Another round?" Merida asked, adjusting the wristband of her fingerless gloves as she stood up straight.

"No thanks," Jack said, letting himself fall back onto the mats of the training room. "Three times in one go is all my ego can take."

"Yer off your game," Merida said – as if they weren't all aware of it.

"I know."

How could he not. He and Merida had been sparring since they were teenagers – since they had first started this whole super hero vendetta. And he almost always won. His parkour skills, combined with his knowledge of her limitations, and Merida's lack of subtlety, made it a fairly simple workout.

She had gotten better. That was undeniable. She had come into her own, especially in the past couple years. Eret's arrival had challenged her in a way no one had expected, and she had risen to the challenge. None of them had realized just how much Merida had allowed herself to relax in the fact she had always been athletic, and that, as an archer, she didn't spend as much time in hand to hand combat. But the difference was visibly evident. The muscles of her arms and stomach were more clearly defined, her movements more controlled.

Yet Jack still had the advantage. Beating her ninety percent of the time – if not more.

So the fact she had been beating him solidly for almost a week was more than enough to make it very clear: Jack was off his game.

"If you had told her—"

"What good would it have done?" Jack asked.

Merida braced a hand on her hip. "She woulda said yes. And she wouldn't be off with Eugene What's-'is-face."

Covering his face with his hands, Jack inhaled deeply.

"Instead, you kept yer mouth shut."

"I know."

"It's your own fault."

"Shut up."

"You know I'm right."

Jack wasn't sure which was worse: that Merida DunBroch was giving him romantic advice, or that it was actually _sound_ romantic advice.

He had loved Rapunzel from the moment he had seen her for the first time. Not in an "oh, wow, she's hot" kind of way. But his eyes had landed on her, and it had been like something in his head or heart had clicked. Some part of his brain had lit up, the thought _that's her_ resounding through his head, along with the realization that he had been waiting for her his entire life without realizing it.

Never mind that he had been twelve. He had been in love with Rapunzel from that moment.

And he had told her so, back then. Rather, he had asked her to marry him.

The problem was, no one believed a twelve year old boy when he said he was in love with a girl, and that he was going to marry her. He had stopped saying it, simply because he got tired of adults laughing, or saying he was cute. It was not cute, darn it. It was serious.

Somewhere along the way… he still wasn't sure what had gone wrong. He and Rapunzel had hit their teenage years, and then their twenties. Somewhere along the way, Jack had turned into a complete, cowardly idiot. Maybe he had just gotten too into the habit of not talking about it.

Had he ever asked her out on an official date? Had he told her any of this in the past ten years?

No.

So when Eugene had shown up, suave and debonair, with an eye on each girl on the team, until he found out almost of them were paired off. Jack had been forced to watch as he set his sights on Rapunzel, and when Rapunzel had said yes when he asked her out.

Now, here he was. Laying on the mats in the workout room, because he was a complete loser, who was losing the love of his life to his own stupidity, and a sleazy guy who seemed to have learned his vocabulary from a book of lines.

And Merida was beating him again, and again, and again.

She wasn't even gloating anymore.

"What are you going to do when we have an actual fight?" Merida asked.

"I don't know." He scowled. "Why did we even let him on the team?"

Eugene's Flynn Rider persona wasn't even that impressive. He was quick footed, and sneaky… but so was Jack. He wasn't as strong as Eret, he couldn't serve as an eye-in-the-sky the way Merida did, didn't lead as well as Hiccup, and wasn't even as good in a fight as Astrid. He was a small time hero who brought nothing to the table. Except maybe a knowledge about having really good hair…

"It's not too late, ya know. I mean, it's their first date, it's not like they're getting married. Just tell her how you feel!"

Jack lifted the forearm that had rested over his eyes, quirking a brow as he looked at Merida. "I can't believe you're telling me to talk about my feelings."

She jabbed her toe into his side. It hurt, but Jack still laughed. Though it faded quickly.

"Just tell her," Merida said.

"And if she says no?"

"Well… maybe you'll be able to move on once you say it."

#

Merida's words haunted him for the rest of the day.

"Maybe you'll be able to move on."

He didn't _want_ to move on.

He _wanted_ Rapunzel.

Which would never happen unless he got over his cowardice and just told her how he felt. It was so logically… but so hard to do when it actually came down to it.

The words were easy enough. He had thought about saying it hundreds of times, in a hundred different ways. It had been on the tip of his tongue time and again. Playing over and over in his head while he told himself to just say it. Only for someone to walk in, or for him to get scared and back out.

Saying it meant putting his heart out there, for her to accept or reject.

He wasn't as innocent as he had been when he was twelve. He was jaded, and more cynical, with too many mental scars, and a case of PTSD that all the others went out of their way to accommodate. Which just made him feel worse, feeling like an inconvenience to his friends.

And Rapunzel… she was still the sunbeam she had reminded him of when they were children. She deserved better than what he had become, didn't she?

Of course… wasn't he an improvement over Eugene? At least he wasn't a flirt. If his feelings for Rapunzel weren't sincere, then he didn't know what was.

Those were the thoughts he was worrying over when Rapunzel came into the kitchen.

"Hey," she said, smiling. "I feel like I barely see you anymore."

"I've been busy." Sulking, and throwing a full on pity party, counted as busy, right? Technically? Getting his butt handed to him by Merida certainly counted… right?

He watched as she went over to the kettle, checking to make sure there was water in it before turning it on. She wore a simple purple halter dress, the soft fabric billowing with her movements, her barefoot almost silent on the tiles. Her golden hair was waist length and loose at the moment.

"How was your date?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't hear the bitterness in his tone.

If he didn't know her so well, he might not have seen her expression fell. Only for a moment. Before her smile returned, even if not quite as bright as usual.

"It was good," she said.

"Just good?" Did he sound too hopeful?

Rapunzel didn't answer right away.

The kettle started to whistle, and she poured water into her mug before coming over to join him in the table.

"I had fun," she said, though her eyes were fixed on the teabag she was swirling in the hot water.

"You don't look like you had fun," Jack said. Folding his arms on the table, he rested his head on his forearms.

"You would know, wouldn't you, Jack?" she asked, one corner of her mouth pulling in a small smirk.

He loved when she smirked. It wasn't something she didn't do often, which made it that much sweeter. Especially knowing it was a quirk she had picked up from him.

"Fun is kind of my thing," he reminded.

Rapunzel mimicked his posture, chin on her forearms. "It is. Responsibility on the other hand…"

"I've gotten better. I do what needs to be done."

"Only when we make you," she said. But her smile made it clear it was teasing, not an accusation.

 _I love you_.

The words were on his tongue. He could just say them. Right then.

With Merida's voice ringing in his ears, Jack opened his mouth to say it. To just tell her.

No. Wait. Wouldn't it be kind of sudden? They had just been talking about her date with another man. Didn't he need some kind of lead in? Or something like that?

"Hey, Rapunzel? Do you remember when we were twelve?"

"Which part?" she asked, sitting up straight again, and taking the tea bagg out of her mug.

He took a deep breath. Trying to steady himself. If he said this, there was no going back.

Good. He was done dithering.

"When I asked you to marry me," he said.

Across from him, Rapunzel stilled mid stir of her tea. Her expression, usually so open and easy to read, became indecipherable.

"I remember," she said softly.

Great. Now where was he supposed to go with this? Ask her to marry him now? No. Too sudden.

He really should have planned this better.

"Why do you ask?" she prodded gently, when he had come up blank for almost a full minute.

"Well, I just… I… I mean…" Jack rubbed the back of his neck nervous. "The thing is…"

"Yes?"

"I've—"

Before he could figure out the words to use, running steps made both of them look towards the door of the kitchen, just as Eret came in. Grabbing the doorway to stop his momentum.

"Downtown," Eret said, jerking his head in that direction.

"Who is it?" Rapunzel asked.

Eret shook his head. "Hiccup just said to suit up."

The universe hated him. Jack had suspected it before. But, in that moment, he knew it. Why else would someone attack the _moment_ he finally tried to tell Rapunzel how he felt?

"Tell me later," Rapunzel said, as they stood up from the table.

"Right," he muttered.

#

Oh, now he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt: the universe hated him. Despised him.

Or at least found him to be the butt of a joke.

Because Pitch, Gothel, Mor'du, and Drago had decided to team up (because it's not like their last five attempts at an alliance hadn't ended in explosive failure), on the same night Jack had tried to confess to Rapunzel.

It felt like a giant slap in the face.

That's what he was thinking as he ran down the street, scattering Nightmares with frost, and freezing thugs in blocks of ice.

 _"I could use some backup on 115th and Division,"_ Eret said, over their ear pieces.

"I'm on 113th and Boyer," Jack said, checking the nearest street sign. "I'll be there in a minute."

 _"Make it thirty seconds."_

If Eret was actually asking for help, Jack suspected that meant it was really needed…

Kicking off the ground, he swept a hand through the air in a silent command for the wind to pick him up. He flew through the skyscrapers of downtown Burgess, cutting across the streets to save time.

Thirty-two seconds later, he descended on the block of 115th and Division. Where Eret was surrounded by a mix of Nightmares and thugs. Rapunzel swung onto the street, a lock of her seemingly endless hair looped around the arm of a street light. Jack took the other side of the street from where she came in. Hair already free from the lamp, lashing at Nightmares that dissipated in the glow from her hair.

Coming down on the other side, Jack sent a wave of frost radiating from him. Taking out the nightmares on the other end of the street.

Eret, fighting the thugs (his lack of powers, save for his mental defenses, rendered him pretty much useless against nightmares), called out a quick thanks, before head butting his opponent.

Jack and Rapunzel fell in with him, the three of them back to back.

Merida's voice came over their connection.

 _"Jack, look out."_

At the same moment an arrow hissed past his cheek, and hit the shoulder of a thug who had been just about to attack Jack from behind.

"Thanks, Merida," he said. "It's so great how you give me plenty of time to react to your warnings."

 _"You're welcome."_

Without bothering to respond to her too-chipper-answer, Jack turned his attention to the fight. Focusing on keeping his back to Rapunzel and Eret, while he took out everything in his view.

"Hey, Rapunzel?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember what we were talking about earlier?"

 _"Jack, I didn't mean in the middle of a fight!"_ Merida said.

Jack shut off his earpiece.

"Is now the right time?" Rapunzel asked.

No. Probably not.

But if he didn't say it now, he might not ever, he realized.

Blasting away a couple Nightmares, Jack turned to Rapunzel.

"Yes," he said.

And she turned to look at him as well. Whipping her hair at a thug who collapsed, without even seeming to look over.

"I'm in love with you," Jack said. "And I have been since we were twelve. And I know I should have said something sooner—"

"You're doing this _now_?" Eret asked, from a few feet away.

Jack ignored him.

Rapunzel did as well. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I was a coward," he admitted. "And I thought you'd say no. And I know you just had a date with—"

Rapunzel grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling him down to crush his lips against hers. Jack was so stunned, he didn't know how to respond.

"I waited so long for you to say that," she said, pulling back. "I thought maybe you'd changed your mind!"

"Never," he said.

"Would you two—"

"We'll talk as soon as this is over," Rapunzel said.

"Right."

Without faltering, they both turned back to the fight.


	5. Fate Drives Us Together

**This is very late, I know. I'm sorry. Reality is a lovely place, and I wouldn't want to live there… but it makes me pay regular visits. Or rather, it crashes into mu world, no matter how hard I try to keep it out.**

 **But I still plan to complete all 7 prompts.**

 **And here we (finally) have the continuation of Day 3, "releasing from the promise". (Sorry to leave that on such a bummer note…) Without further ado…**

 _Fate Drives Us Together_

Rapunzel still wasn't sure who brought Jack into their group. Only that he had shown up a little after her break up with Eugene. Though she suspected he had been forced to go through a vetting process with the others before she met him. All her friends had been over protective during that time. And she couldn't quite say she blamed them. In some ways, being spoiled had been nice while she nursed her broken heart.

Maybe that was why she hadn't really known what to make of Jack, once she was ready to meet him.

While he fit with their group, he was different. In a way, he was like no one Rapunzel had ever met before. Quick, both mentally, and physically. With a sarcastic sense of humor that sometimes leaned towards dark. And blue, blue eyes that seemed to show every emotion that passed through his mind.

He was only a few inches taller than she was, with a lithe build that made her want to pull her to sketchbook to try and capture the contours of the way he moved. He had been the first thing she found herself wanting to draw in weeks.

Though she still wasn't sure she would ever be able to capture the exact way one corner of his mouth quirked in that boyish, lopsided grin.

No one was safe from him and his tricks. (Well, except Astrid. One threat from her, and Jack seemed to have developed a fearful respect for her. There seemed to be a three foot aura of safety around her, as if he was afraid she might get caught in a prank pulled on the others.)

Merida seemed to be his favorite victim. He had told Rapunzel once that it was because Merida provided the best pay off.

It had been a hot day in mid-July, and they had been sitting on the edge of her family's pool.

"What do you mean, 'pay off'?" she had asked.

The corner of his mouth had curled in pure mischief. "Just watch."

"What? Jack, no—"

But he had already stood up, and begun making his way towards where Merida and Astrid had been sitting at the table where snacks were set out. Hiccup and Eret had been batting a beach ball between them.

Jack's nonchalance as he approached the snack table was Oscar worthy. If she hadn't known he was up to no good, Rapunzel might have believed it. All she could do was watch, in something akin to horrified awe, as he went over to the cooler and pulled a bottle of water from the ice. Still, she had almost missed the small movement of his other hand, it was so subtle. She didn't see what he did, only that he did something.

She had to press a hand over her mouth as she watched him walk past Merida. Still nonchalant.

Right up until the moment he hooked a finger in the back of Merida's tshirt (or rather, Eret's tshirt, which she was wearing), pulling the collar back ever so carefully… and dropped three pieces of ice down her shirt.

Rapunzel gasped, letting out a shocked laugh of disbelief. Though it was covered up by the fact Merida _screeched_ when the ice hit her sun heated skin.

 _"Jackson Overland Frost!"_

She jumped out of her chair to fast it toppled, and lunged at Jack. But he had started moving as soon as the ice had left his palm. So by the time Merida was on her feet, he was already jumping into the deep end of the pool. Close enough to where Rapunzel sat that she was splashed by the wave his impact caused.

Merida stopped at the edge of the pool, but screamed at the distorted image of Jack as he swam under the water.

He was coming towards where Rapunzel still sat, and she expected him to surface with that cocky grin.

Instead, his long fingered hand had caught her ankle, and pulled. She had just enough time to realize what was happening, and inhale deeply, before she was submerged. Jack's hand caught hers, pulling her over to the other side of the pool, away from Merida and her white hot fury.

Once there, they broke the surface. And, sure enough, she was faced with that grin she wanted to desperately to draw properly.

"See?" he said. "Pay off."

Rapunzel found herself giggling as they tread water to stay afloat.

It wasn't that he was the first person to make her smile since Eugene's betrayal. She had never been one to stay in the dark long. And her friends had selflessly helped her back into the sunlight. But something about the way Jack made her smile felt… different. In a way she couldn't begin to describe.

It wasn't something she became aware of until that moment, though. As she looked into his blue eyes, both of them sharing in the moment of laughter. The small conspiracy of what had happened.

When she did realize it, her smile faded a little. Not entirely sure she was comfortable with the butterflies that seemed to be coming out of hibernation. Fluttering in her bloodstream, humming to the song that was him.

For the moment, she decided to ignore it. Diving under the water, and swimming towards Hiccup and Eret. There was safety in numbers, after all. When Jack came over a few seconds later, he didn't show any sign of being offended. Maybe he hadn't noticed the way she had run away.

She hoped it would pass. But from then on, she had found herself hyperaware of Jack. Of his presence. His expression. Everything he said. His words played over in her head when she tried to go to sleep at night. And she was forced to admit… she was falling in love again.

A year ago, before everything with Eugene, she would have embraced the sensation. She would have relished in it.

If it hadn't been for Eugene – or Flynn, as he was apparently calling himself again – when Jack asked her out, a few weeks later, she would have said yes.

She knew that as she said no.

Jack's expression fell. He tried not to let it show. But he had already been so nervous as he asked, rubbing the back of his neck, that he couldn't stop his disappointment from showing.

"I'm sorry, Jack."

"No, no," he said, trying to grin. "I just—I guess I—"

"I want to say yes!"

That got his attention. Blue, blue eyes blinking, he cocked his head to the side as he looked at her. "Uh… what?"

"I want to say yes," she said. "I like you, Jack. I really do."

"I like you, too," he said.

"And I wish I could say yes," she told him. "But I… I had a break up recently."

"Yeah. Uh… Eret mentioned it."

She wasn't surprised, really. Eugene was never mentioned among the group. But she wasn't at all surprised that he had been told about it.

"I'm just not ready to try again," she said. "Not yet."

Jack nodded.

For a moment, they sat in tense silence, Rapunzel biting her lips as she tried to think of something to say to ease the tension.

"What if I said I'll wait?"

Rapunzel blinked, startled by his voice in the middle of her thoughts. Not sure she had heard him properly. "What?"

"I'll wait," Jack said, holding her gaze in earnest. "As long as it takes. I'll wait until you're ready."

"Are you sure?"

Jack smiled. And it was sincere. "I'll wait for you. As long as you think you'll want me at the end of it. I'll wait."

For the next five months, Jack waited for her. Always there when she needed him. Fitting in with their group as easily as if he had been a part of it as long as any of them, with the ability to make all of them laugh. He never once asked if she was ready yet – he just waited.

As the months went on, Rapunzel found herself falling even more in love. Terrified of all her feelings – especially when she realized they were stronger than anything she had felt for Eugene.

Until Christmas Eve. All of them would be celebrating with their families Christmas day itself, so they spent the night before celebrating in Jack and Hiccup's loft apartment. Exchanging gifts, and laughing together as they looked back over the past year.

Jack gave her a snowflake necklace, and a matching pair of earrings. She gave him a scarf she had knitted. Which he put on as soon as he opened it, and didn't take off. No matter how much Merida teased him about it.

The evening wound down, Merida and Eret leaving together, Hiccup walking Astrid out to her car. And Rapunzel found herself left alone with Jack.

"Do you want me to walk you out?" Jack asked.

"Not yet," she said, smiling shyly as she moved over to sit next to him on the couch. Leaning back into the cushions. Inhaling deeply, she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm not ready for tonight to be over."

"Me, neither," he admitted.

She fingered the delicate silver filigree snowflake, on a silver chain. Normally she preferred gold jewelry, since it went better with hair blond hair. But she loved the necklace she now wore.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you still waiting for me?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "Honestly, I'm more in love with you than I was. Even if you never say yes, I think I'll be waiting for you the rest of my life."

Rapunzel lifted her back from the cushions of the couch, shifting towards Jack. Leaning closer to him, until her nose brushed his cheek.

Jack responded, turning his head, until his lips were a breath away from hers.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered. "I… I want to try."

One of his hands came to cup her cheek. His palms cool and calloused. "I love you, Rapunzel."

"I love you, too, Jack," she whispered.

His lips brushed against hers. Gentle and caressing. Somehow cool and warm all at once. It was a kiss. She had kissed Eugene. But, somehow, this was so different. So wonderfully, deliciously different.

This felt like fate.


End file.
